Guides for Canadian shops · Getting paid
How to take Interac e-Transfer payments at your auto repair shop
Plenty of Canadian customers would rather send an Interac e-Transfer than hand over a card. Here is how to set it up so payments land cleanly, match the right invoice, and never leave you releasing a car on a fake email.
- Use one email address only for payments, and turn on Autodeposit for it.
- Put your email, the exact amount and the invoice number on every invoice.
- Big bills can go over a customer’s daily limit, so offer card for the rest.
- Release the car when your bank shows the money, never on the email alone.
On this page
1Set up a payments email
Pick one address that is only for receiving money, such as [email protected].
- Easy to read out at the counter and print on an invoice
- Stays the same when a service writer leaves
- Keeps payment notices out of the inbox full of supplier invoices and spam
No domain of your own? A new free email account used only for payments works too.
2Turn on Autodeposit
In your business online banking, find the Interac e-Transfer settings and register your payments email for Autodeposit. Once it is on:
- Money sent to that email goes straight into your account
- The customer does not need a security question and answer
- Customers usually see your registered business name before they send
Some business accounts charge per e-Transfer received, some include a monthly number, some offer higher limits for a fee. Check your fee schedule before you promote it to customers.
3Make every payment easy to match
The usual headache is not fraud. It is a deposit of $487.20 from “J SMITH” with no note, and three open invoices near that amount. Put these on every invoice:
- Your payments email
- The exact amount to send
- The invoice number, with a request to put it in the message
Match each deposit to its invoice and mark it paid the same day. Clear any unmatched deposits once a week.
4Plan for sending limits
Every bank sets how much a customer can send per day and per week, and the limits vary. An oil change is never a problem. A transmission or a big brake and suspension job can go over.
Give customers an easy way out, and say it when you quote the job, not at pickup:
- Part by e-Transfer and the rest by card
- Send it over two days if the car is staying anyway
5Never release a car on the email alone
Scammers send emails that look like Interac deposit notices, sometimes with the right amount and your shop’s name.
Before the keys go back, open your own banking app and see the deposit. With Autodeposit on, never click a link in an email to “accept” money.
Tell everyone who works the counter. One busy Saturday is all it takes.
6Offer it next to card, not instead of it
Some customers want their card for the points or because the repair was unplanned. Others only use e-Transfer. Offer both on the same invoice and nobody has a reason to wait.
7How this works in Moibay
Add your payments email once in Settings. Every invoice link you text or email then shows an e-Transfer option with your email, the amount in CAD and the invoice number, next to card payment if you have it connected. When the e-Transfer lands, you record the payment on the invoice and the balance updates.
See what the customer sees in the demo shop, or grab the free auto repair invoice template if you still invoice on paper.
Questions shops ask
Should my shop use a separate email for e-Transfers?
Yes. A dedicated address like [email protected] keeps payment notices out of your everyday inbox, is easy to give out, and does not change when staff change.
What is Autodeposit?
A setting in your online banking that registers your email so e-Transfers sent to it go straight into your account, with no security question for the customer to answer.
What if the bill is more than the customer can send in a day?
Sending limits are set by the customer’s bank. For a big repair, take part by e-Transfer and the rest by card, or split it over two days.
Is it safe to release the car when I get the email?
Only after you see the money in your own online banking. Fake e-Transfer emails exist, so the notice alone is not proof of payment.
Does it cost my shop anything?
It depends on your bank and account. Some business accounts charge a fee for each e-Transfer received, others include a number of them. Check your account’s fee schedule.